Costco Corp. will be shelling out nearly a quarter-million dollars to Riverside County agencies as part of a legal settlement connected to the wholesaler’s failure to properly dispose of hazardous waste, it was announced today.
Costco Corp. will be shelling out nearly a quarter-million dollars to Riverside County agencies as part of a legal settlement connected to the wholesaler's failure to properly dispose of hazardous waste. (Flickr: greenwenvy08)
Costco was sued earlier this year by 28 counties, including Riverside, for numerous instances of allegedly failing to safely store and discard pharmaceutical waste.
The lawsuit was filed in Alameda County, where a judge on Friday certified a $3.6 million civil settlement. According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, the county’s share of the award totals $228,250, of which the D.A.’s office will retain $188,500, with the balance going to the Department of Environmental Health.
According to prosecutors, once informed of the statewide investigation, Costco quickly changed its policies to come into compliance with regulations.
The District Attorney’s Office said environmental violations occurred over a five-year period at the following six stores in Riverside County:
– 480 McKinley St., Corona;
– 29315 Central Ave., Lake Elsinore;
– 79-795 Highway 111, La Quinta;
– 12700 Day St., Moreno Valley;
– 72-800 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert; and
– 26610 Ynez Road, Temecula.
A distribution center in Mira Loma was also named in the complaint.
According to prosecutors, the $3.6 million judgment will go toward strengthening environmental and consumer protections throughout the state.
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